Lithuania tests Ukrainian-developed drone detection system SkyFortress

Lithuania is testing a Ukrainian-developed airspace monitoring system designed to detect low-flying drones and other threats by analysing acoustic and radio signals, the Defence Ministry said Friday.

The pilot deployment of the SkyFortress system is intended to strengthen the first stage of Lithuania’s air defene network – detecting and tracking potential threats before they can be intercepted.

“Air threats are changing rapidly, so we are adapting our solutions accordingly,” Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said in a statement. “Instead of developing everything from scratch, we are adapting systems that are already operating in Ukraine.”

SkyFortress uses artificial intelligence to detect and track low-flying drones and cruise missiles based on acoustic or electromagnetic signatures, the ministry said. The system can classify detected objects in real time.

Under a contract signed this summer, the project also includes processing data collected by the system’s sensors, using libraries of digital acoustic and radio-frequency signatures based on unclassified data, and training personnel, according to the ministry.

Testing will assess the system’s ability to detect and identify low-flying unmanned aircraft in Lithuania.

The deployment comes as Lithuania and its Baltic neighbours have strengthened airspace security amid Russia’s war against Ukraine and an increase in reports of potential air threats in the region.

A drone that entered Lithuania from Belarus was shot down over Lithuanian territory in September by Italian fighter jets stationed in Šiauliai. It was the first time a drone had been shot down over Lithuania. Similar incidents had previously occurred in Latvia and Estonia.

The Defence Ministry said SkyFortress will contribute to strengthening Lithuania’s broader air defence capabilities, from surveillance and identification to the interception and neutralisation of aerial threats.